Catastrophe Waitress

Gluten Free Banana Coconut Wonderloaf

2009-10-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

OK, so I wasn't quite sure what to call this besides absolutely delicious! This is something everyone will love. No one would ever know it was gluten free, especially with the yummy texture of corn meal and coconut. Mm, I can hardly wait to have another piece.

As they would say on Yo Gabba Gabba... Try it! You'll like it!

Haha, I've lost my mind. But this stuff really is good.

GF Banana Coconut Wonderloaf

Note: This recipe yields 2 loaves.

1 cup Corn Meal
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/5 tsp Baking Soda
1/5 cup white sugar
1/5 cup brown sugar
2 cups shredded dried unsweetened coconut
3 mashed bananas
1 cup milk
1/5 cup water
1 egg
1 egg white
2 tbsp butter

Mix all the dry ingredients first. Then mix in the wet ingredients. When everything is mixed thoroughly pour into two greased or sprayed loaf pans and bake @ 350 until the top looks dried, and the knife test comes out clean.

Let this cool well before serving. It's very moist and if you don't let it cool it will fall apart.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did. We love it for breakfast, a snack or dessert. It would be wonderful with vanilla ice cream and some caramel drizzled over it.

Easy, inexpensive, and I didn't have to go to the store to get any of the ingredients to make this tasty treat. Who could ask for more?

Gluten Free Chicken Soup

2009-10-22T19:11:00.001-07:00

This was what I needed. It is true that chicken soup heals the spirit. Make this recipe next time you're feeling a little down, a little sick, or a little chilly. I guarantee it will perk you right up.

Gluten Free Chicken Soup

1 box gluten free chicken stock
1 box (from the chicken stock box) of water
4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 bag frozen cross-cut carrots
1 celery stalk cut into chunks
1 large potato cut into chunks
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Salt & White Pepper to taste

Pour everything into the crock pot and turn on high. Let it cook for about 2 hours if you like your veggies crunchy, or longer if you like them mushy. I prefer them crunchy. The chicken cooks fairly quickly, after about 1.5 hours.

My whole family loved this soup. It is so flavorful, and very healthy. You could change it up too and add whatever favorite veggies and spices you can imagine. You could even cook up some gluten free pasta and add it at the last minute.

All in all this is a wonderful, easy, fool-proof and inexpensive way to feed a family, and heal some spirits. Enjoy!

Ginger Peach Chicken (Gluten Free)

2009-10-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Oooh, if you like spicy/sweet food combinations then you're going to love this meal. Its very simple too.

Ginger Peach Chicken

3lbs of raw thawed or fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans of peaches in heavy syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 - 1tsp chili paste
1tsp ground ginger for sauce & 1tsp for chicken
1tsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp of chopped garlic
salt to taste

Rub chicken breasts with 1tsp of ginger, salt & white pepper. Bake @ 350 until juices run clear.

Meanwhile:

Melt a pad of butter @ med/high heat in a sauce pan. Add peaches, brown sugar, chili paste and the other tsp of ginger. Stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 mins. Add 2tbsp corn startch to a half cup of warm water and stir until corn starch disolves. Add half of cornstarch mixture to peach sauce. Let the mixture thicken. If it's still not thick enough, then add the remaining cornstarch to the sauce and mix. Let the peach sauce continue to simmer.

When the chicken is done cooking, chop coarsely, then mix with peach sauce and let stand (no heat), for five minutes. Serve on it's own with sides, or over rice.

Gluten-Free Food Review #4

2009-09-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

If you love tortillas, then I have good news for you.

To my surprise and delight I discovered some wonderful brown rice, gluten free tortillas made by Food For Life, and I think I'm in love. The texture is crispy and amazing, straight out of the package. The flavor is very deep and almost reminiscent of sourdough, but in a new and exciting way.

I used mine to make a quesadilla, something I hadn't had in quite some time. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I definitely recommend you give these tortillas a try.

Blackberry Pie

2009-09-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while! But here I am, and with wonderful news!

A friend of mine who is an excellent chef made me the luckiest girl in the world today! She took her time and love to make me a gluten free blackberry pie from scratch!

The pie was absolutely amazing. The outer crust was flakey, the blackberries weren't too sweet, there was a bit of a lemony flavor that paired perfectly with the berries, and the bottom crust had a perfectly tender consistency.

Here is a picture of this tasty treat. Try not to drool on your keyboard.

Isn't it gorgeous? It tastes even better!

It was so wonderful to have pie, which is something I haven't enjoyed in a very, very long time. The best part though is that I knew I could trust Summer's cooking because she is licensed and serve safe certified. I know we'll be ordering cakes and pies from her in the future! Maybe you should too!

If you're interested in ordering any of Summer's culinary delights, you can contact her at...

Summer Brashear @ Chef_Summer@hotmail.com

She has also made dairy free pies, as well as gluten free.

Gluten-Free Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

2009-03-12T22:44:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmm. This is a good one! I originally got the recipe from Stephanie's A year of Crockpotting website. I switched it up a bit, and cooked it in the oven rather than the crock. But it turned out FABULOUS, and I'd highly recommend it for a switch-up on your old fashioned lasagna.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

1 box of ready to bake lasagna (I used gluten-free rice lasagna)
2 cooked chicken breasts
1 jar of prepared pasta sauce
1 cup of buffalo sauce
15oz of ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheese blend)
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 cup of corn
1/2 cup water

Cut the chicken into chunks and mix together in a bowl with the buffalo sauce, corn and pasta sauce. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3qt casserole dish with your choice of spray or EVOO or whatever you like to grease pans with.

Building the lasagna:
Start with a ladlefull of sauce/chicken mixture. Spread that across the bottom of the dish then cover with a layer of lasagna. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese over the lasagna, then a layer of cheese blend. Reapeat. Then for the top use the rest of the sauce mixture and cover the top of the lasagna with the parmesan cheese. Pour the water around the edge of the lasagna, (it will be absorbed by the noodles as it cooks). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I really, really liked this lasagna. It's even better the next day after all the flavors meld together. It's sort of spicy, perhaps to spicy for kids (depending on their tastes), but it's a great variation from traditional lasagna. Also, it makes a lot and you can eat it all week. So it's really cost concious.

Give it a try! It's easy, cheap, and tasty. Who could ask for more?

Gluten-Free Banana Loaf Cake

2009-02-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

Hello, and I'm sorry I've been gone so very long! But now I'm back, and with a delicious recipe for Banana Loaf Cake from the back of a bag of Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix. It turned out perfect, and was gone about 30 seconds after my kids got their hands on it.

Gluten-Free Banana Loaf Cake

4 TBSP butter, melted
2 Eggs, beaten
1 3/4 Cups Pamela's Mix
1/2 Tsp Salt (I thought it could've done with just a 1/4 Tsp)
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 VERY brown bananas (mine were black)
1 Tsp Vanilla

Melt the butter and add it at the bottom of the bowl, then whisk in the eggs quickly making sure they don't cook from the melted butter. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with whatever mixing contraption you prefer. This will be a very thick mixture, and you will ask yourself... don't I need some liquid? But no, you don't. Just trust me.

Dump all of this into a greased or sprayed 8x4 loaf pan and cook at 350 degrees for about 60-75 minutes. Mine took about 75 minutes total. The result is a wonderful rich, soft loaf cake that tastes excellent with some butter spread acrossed it.

This is such an easy and delicious cake that is great morning, noon, or night. I hope you can enjoy this with your family as much as I did with mine!

Gluten-Free Crockpot Chili Recipe

2009-01-21T00:56:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to make a few easily reheated meals for my Husband and children while I am out of town taking care of my Father's passing. I have a tried and true chili recipe but it's loaded with gluten. So I reluctantly threw together this crockpot chili, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best!

Gluten-Free Crockpot Chili

1 lb ground lean turkey
1 bag Trader Joe's Roasted Corn
1 Packet gluten-free taco seasoning (I used Nueva Cocina Chipotle Taco Seasoning)
2 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp ground Tumeric
1-2 Tbsp light brown sugar (start with 1 and add the 2nd if needed)
1 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
1 tsp Thyme
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
Dash of Olive Oil (I used Annie's Natural Roasted Garlic Flavored EVOO)
1 large can of diced tomatoes (I used organic)
2 cans pinto beans (I used organic)
2 cans kidney beans (I used organic)
I can Rotelle tomatoes and chiles (I used mild, the hot chili expands the chiles and makes it spicy enough for my family's taste)

Cook the ground turkey in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray then dump it in the crockpot. Dump everything else in the crockpot. Mix very, very well. Let the chili simmer on low for 2 hours, then check the taste and if needed add more salt and brown sugar to taste. I like the spicy sweet flavor of the cumin and brown sugar, but if you aren't big on sweet chili then hold back and use just one tbsp of brown sugar.

I let this cook for about 6.5 hours on low, and it was perfect! We are going to top ours with little cheese and sour cream, maybe even some bacon crumbles. The possibilities with chili are endless! That's what I love about it!

I hope you enjoy this warm, easy recipe on a cold and rainy day.

Cheers,

Erin

Quick Update

2009-01-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry I haven't posted. Sadly, my father passed away on Saturday. I am in charge of arranging all of his affairs, so I've been rather busy.

I promise as soon as this whole fiasco has calmed down I will start blogging again. I have many new foods to review, and fun stories to share (despite the grief).

Have a great week, and keep smiling!

Erin

Rest in peace Larry Mars - October 14, 1948-January 17, 2009
Loving Father, Photographer, and Kick Ass Surfer Dude

Gluten-Free Apple Cinammon Muffins

2009-01-11T17:41:00.001-08:00

After tasting a couple of very bad gluten-free breads I was very nervous about making muffins. But I have heard so many great things about Pamela's Baking Mix, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm so glad I did, becuase they turned out great!

Here's my recipe, adapted from the recipe on the back of the Pamela's Baking Mix bag.

Apple Cinammon Muffins
Yeilds one dozen muffins

2 1/2 cups Pamela's Baking Mix
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tsp cinammon
1/2 cup sugar for mix
1/4 cup sugar for topping
2 eggs
3 large apples, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Sprinkle sugar on top of the muffins before baking. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Voila!!! Perfection! These are light and fluffy, and just wonderful!

I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did!

Gluten-Free Food Review #3

2009-01-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

Well... I've got some good news, and some bad news.

Which would you like first?

The bad?

My pleasure.

Road's End Organics Penne & Chreese Pasta

Now, I'd like to begin by saying that I mostly blame myself for this experience. I didn't realize when I bought this pasta that it was vegan; therefore, I was prepared for the flavor of real cheese. Not...chreese.

The pasta in this mix is fine. It's standard rice pasta that cooks up great, never overcooks and with a quick rinse is ready to be eaten. But, the flavoring packet is where this side dish goes ALL wrong. The um... chreese, as it is called, actually tastes like... well, for lack of a better term I'll just say I've tasted cheese wrappers that had more cheese flavor than this mixture of tapioca starch and organic green lentil flour.

Now, I do feel kind of bad giving this thumbs down review to this vegan pasta side dish. It must be very hard for people who live a vegan lifestyle to find good foods to eat. But this is not good food, even if you can't remember what real cheese tastes like, and perhaps enough honest reviews will encourage this company to make food for vegans that is palatable. See there? I'm not just a critic. I'm a hero! Ok, maybe not, but at least I'm saving you a couple bucks on something that tastes and smells like cardboard brocolli casserole.

So... Ready for the good news? It's really good too!

Believe it or not teriyaki beef jerky is really hard to find if you eat a gluten-free diet. Very hard. But to my delight and suprise I found that Whole Foods Market makes their own beef jerky with gluten-free soy sauce! It tastes great too. Even my four year old really liked it. It's definitely on the sweet side, so if you prefer a beefier tasting beef jerky I'd get a different flavor. But other than that its very moist and not too hard. It tastes very fresh, and the beef is from celebrity cows that dined on fancy grass and were pampered daily in fancy farms all over the world.

So next time you get the hankering for some beefy jerky rest easy my gluten-free friend! Whole Foods once again comes to the rescue! Yay!

I give it 4 stars out of 5! Mmmm beefy!

What can we eat that is safe?

2009-01-08T00:42:00.001-08:00

If you can't read a label that says, "Gluten-Free", having bought it at a specialty Market and trust it, then how can you ever trust any product to truly be gluten-free?

Read this article from The Tribune. I hope you're as outraged as I am. I will never buy Wellshire products, EVER!

It really disgusts me and makes me not want to buy anything mass produced. It almost makes me feel paranoid! As if washing my hands every time I feed my cat out of fear of getting a micro-crumb of glutenous cat food wasn't bad enough! Don't add to my neurosis America!

Gluten-Free Food Review #2

2009-01-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is going to be short and sweet because frankly, I feel like crap. But I just couldn't let this experience fall into the crevices of my bad memory. I must warn you before you fall victim to the temptation of exotic soup.

Thai Kitchen Coconut Ginger Soup

I think I'll rename it Thai Kitchen Coconut Ginger EWW. Yes, eww. It's gross.

As you open the can you are welcomed by a dull sweet smell and a thick layer of coconut milk/grease that sticks to your fingers (I discarded that part). Once you've heated it the house is permiated with a spicy sweet and milky musty aroma (if you'd like to call it that). One taste and it was down the drain. It was so over the top gingery that it burned my mouth and throat. Even after I poured it down the garbage disposal you could still smell it for about 10 minutes.

From start to finish this soup is pure torture. Heed my advice and save yourself the agony of this odd combo of cream and ginger.

Oh, and one parting note: It has leaves in it. Just eww.

Gluten-Free Food Review #1

2009-01-02T17:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I embarked on a new journey to live a completely gluten-free lifestyle. I began this journey by clearing our house of all glutenous foods and even some appliances that couldn't be properly cleansed of crumbs.

My first shopping stop was Whole Foods Market where I spent nearly two hours reading labels and going up and down the aisles (some of them two or three times). A very helpful man named Jim from the marketing department gave me a great store tour when I arrived and also a free loaf of rice bread! I ended up with a full cart of gluten-free items. They're selection really is amazing, although the prices could be a little lower. After that I went to Safeway for the rest of our groceries. I will buy anything I can gluten-free from a regular supermarket.

Since yesterday I've had the chance to try some of the items that I purchased which leads me to the title of this post. My 1st gluten-free food review! Here I will list the items I've tried, and the honest opinions of myself, husband and children. I will try to include a link to the product when I can so that if you would like to try it you'll know where to find it.

Let the reviewing begin...

Amy's Rice Crust Cheese Pizza

I was very happy to find gluten-free pizza at Whole Foods Market. It was a little pricey at $8.99 for enough pizza to realistically serve two adults. But considering that I don't know of any other place to get pizza at the moment I was willing to pay to try it out.

Overall it was pretty good! My kids really liked it. The bottom of the pizza doesn't get crispy, but the edges do. The crust is very dense, and sort of crumbly. It goes nicely with the cheese and sauce. I drizzled our's with a little garlic flavored olive oil before I put it in the oven. But the sauce and cheese were very flavorful, and had nice texture as well.

I'd buy this again, but I'd pair it with a salad since it's so small.

I give it 3.5 stars out of 5!

The Peanut Gallery

2008-12-29T22:04:00.000-08:00

I've decided I'm going to keep a blog-page that has periodical updating of the hilarious things my boys say. Almost everyday one of them says something that just cracks me up, and there are so many funny memories I don't want to forget. So here they are, and the lists will continue to grow....

Owen falls down and busts his legs... he's crying.... I'm holding him, and I say, "Do you want a popsicle?", to which he replies (through his tears), "yes, (sniffle), and some coffee."
Owen, 5, 09/25/10

At 5:30am David is playing computer & Owen walks in.... Owen: "Daddy, my peepee sticks out, but if I leave it alone, it will lay down.".
Owen - 5, 06/14/10

Owen, Jack and Mommy are in the car. Owen is eating trail mix. Jack doesn't like nuts.
Jack: "Mommy, I think I smell Owen's nuts. Do you smell Owen's nuts?"
Jack - 7, 01/19/10

During the kissing scene in the movie Avatar, Owen yells out, "Is this the good part?"
Owen - 5, 01/18/10

Owen is laughing his head off...
Jack: "What's so funny Owen?"
Owen: "Your face! Your silly face!"
Jack - 7, Owen - 3 days from 5 years old, 11/23/09

Jack and Owen are upstairs brushing their teeth. This is what I hear out of nowhere.
Owen: "Jack, I love you."
Jack: "I love you too, buddy."
Jack - 7, Owen - almost 5, 11/20/09

"Mommy, I'm a natural bowler, and I have little balls!" Owen, Age 4, 11/09/09

Owen: "Mommy, what is this hole in my pajama pants?"
Me:"That is so you can go potty at night and you don't have to pull your pants down. You can stick your peepee out of it and go potty."
Owen:"Oh..." Owen seems very interested in this hole. I turn to do something and when I turn back around he has a proud grin and his weiner hanging out of the his pee pee hole in his pj's. Boys...
A while later....
Owen: "Mommy, I think I'm in trouble."
Me: "Why?"
Owen:"I made another hole in my pajamas."
Me:"You did? Where is it?"
Owen lays back and he's created a "balls" hole in the crotch of his pants, and he is now using both holes to proudly display his weiner, and balls.
I threw the pants out.
Owen - 4, 11/01/09

Jack and Owen sitting are sitting at the dining room table eating dinner and chatting to one another.
Owen: "Jack, (Owen leans back, gazing into the ceiling) when I a baby, I used to suck my thumb (he still does by the way). Also Jack, when I was a baby, I used to go potty in my diaper."
Jack: "Oh, just like me!"
Owen looking VERY puzzled: "Jack, YOU wear a diaper?"
Jack - 6, Owen - 4, June 2009

McDonalds Commercial on the radio: "Come in and try a new decadent mocha!"
Owen: "Mommy, let's go have a decadent taco!"
Owen - 4, 01/20/09

"If you don't go to school then you have to go to a bad college and they make you take off your pants and dance in your underwear!"
Owen - 4, 01/20/09

"Daddy, Grandpa is a builder. But Daddy, you're a fixer."
Jack - 6, 01/19/09

Me: "Owen, let's give you a new middle name! How about Silly Pants?"
Owen: "No Mommy! My middle name is... Loverboy!!"
Owen - 4, 01/12/09

"Patrick married a pole. Seriously.... he did."
Jack, Age 6, 01/06/09

"I just had a dream that a guy with a big space planet head took us to outa-space and we were frozen!"
Owen, Age 4, 01/06/09

Owen: "Mommy, will you carry me?"
Me: "Where do you want me to carry you to?"
Owen: "Oh. Just carry me one."
Owen, Age 4, 12/31/08

"I have a cyborg head and it fell off so I had to put on a new one." Jack, Age 6, 12/30/08

"See these two holes (pointing to his nostrils), this is buger town." Owen, Age 4, 12/29/08

Blackberry Chicken

2008-12-29T18:04:00.000-08:00

I made crock-pot yumminess today. Now, it may not look yummy as the blackberries turned the chicken purple but I promise it was wonderful. Here's my recipe...

1 6.5 quart crockpot
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bag frozen blackberries
1 cup brown sugar
4 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 tsp rosemary
salt to taste

Put everything into the crockpot on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked. It's going to turn purple, but it's going to taste delicious. The chicken is very tender mixed with the sweetness from the berries and brown sugar. The berries also add a wonderful texture. If you'd like it to have a little spicy punch you could add a little ginger, or my friend Jenn said she thought it would be good with a little white wine. I was however working in a house low on groceries and didn't feel like going anywhere. However it was still absolutely wonderful, and I'd make it again in a heartbeat. I put my chicken over brown rice, and it was a delicious, healthy and gluten-free dinner.

Blackberry Chicken!!!

Goodbye Wasabi Peas

2008-12-27T00:56:00.000-08:00

It's late.

I'm hungry.

I want my wasabi peas.

But soon, I won't be able to have them anymore. They are made with several ingredients that react with a disease I have recently been diagnosed with called Celiac Disease. So as of January 1st I will not be able to eat any foods with gluten in them anymore, wasabi peas being one of the many.

Such sadness it brings to say goodbye to many of my old friends... granola, bagels, white bread, wheat thins, pizza, pastry, cake, brownies, cookies, and of course wasabi peas.

Most of these items can be bought or made in a gluten-free version which I will be trying with excitement as to perhaps find some new favorites. Also as you can see most or pretty much all of those items aren't healthy in the first place so I'm sure cutting them out completly could have positive effects in the waistline.

But the best effect will of course be the lack of symptoms that I will hopefully experience after being gluten-free for several months. Having the knowledge that I am significantly lowering my likelyhood of getting gastro-cancer, ulcers, and other life threatening diseases is a perk as well. Untreated Celiac Disease can increase the risk of certain cancers by up to 50%! It can also cause neurological defects, depression, joint pain, terrible skin rashes, and many other terrible conditions. So it is imperative that I take this very seriously and not ingest anymore gluten after the start of the year. Hopefully in as little as six months I will begin feeling better, and although I still have Fibromyalgia (which can be caused by Celiac Disease), I will hopefully only be dealing with the symptoms of one disease and not two.

I really look forward to feeling better and if it meant eating nothing but dried worms and toe jam I would do it. I wouldn't enjoy it, but I would do it, and this I will do also and may even perhaps find joy in my new lifestyle.

Look forward to many new recipes and insights as I begin my gluten-free journey. It's a bright path and a long road and I look forward to enjoying the ride.

Gnite!

The Stubborn Lady and her rice... A True Story.

2008-12-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

I'm on a mission... A rice cooking mission.

I've always wanted to make sticky rice. About a year ago my aunt bought me some "Thai Sweet Rice" from the Asian grocer in her area and I bought myself a rice cooker. After several failed attempts at cooking ALL types of rice in the rice cooker I gave up and stowed my cooker away in the darkness of defeat, (you know, the cupboard above the fridge with the sushi cookbook and fancy 10-in-1 slicer dicer grater chopper). Well darnit, I want to make my own damn rice and this time I'm not giving up!

Last night was my first attempt at cooking this tricky Thai rice. I called my Mom who swears that she's made it before and she rambled off this much too easy seeming list of instructions for me to try. Despite what I'd heard she swore that you do not need to soak the rice.

You need to soak the rice.

We ended up with a gloppy, gluey, disgusting mess of white goo which resembled nothing even remotely close to rice. Now she says she doesn't remember. Convenient? I think so...

So, after that debaucle I took it upon myself to begin research. I started by asking all my Asian friends how they cook sticky rice. I mean go directly to the source, right? Of course, none of them have cooked Thai sticky rice which I guess is different but is what I am trying to cook. Then I began a long and confusing internet search. Many websites suggested that you steam the rice in a basket over a special pot. But I don't have a special pot, or an even slightly irregular one for that matter. Since I do have a rice cooker I thought maybe I could steam the rice in the specific cooker for which it was created. But of course that didn't work. After soaking the rice for 5 hours then rigging it into a special homeade basket for steaming, the rice cooker did absolutely nothing. Aparently rice cookers are not meant for "steaming" rice, but more for boiling it. I threw the damn rice cooker away, then got it back out of the garbage can, because I'm stubborn and I figure perhaps someday I could use it for something... not cooking rice mind you, but maybe something. Any ideas?

I found a recipe that uses a regular pot and other everyday type items that I have in my house and don't have to order online to make my rice. As we speak now I am patiently awaiting tender kernels of chewy rice for my pure enjoyment. I just checked on it and so far the rice is still not cooked at all, but I say that's better than the rice being a ball of glue.

Well after about 30 mins of steaming in my homeade rice steaming device I turned the water off, covered the rice and left it to sit and steam. Hours later I came back to check on it and yes, in fact it had worked! I made thai sticky rice!!! Here's what I did.

I used a large pot and filled it about half full with water. Then I put a steamer basket over the water and lined it with a piece of raw cotton that I had on hand. You could of course use cheesecloth but I didn't have that, so I used cotton. I put the soaked rice in the lined steamer basket, and covered it. I then turned on the water and let it boil for 30 mins and then just let it sit until it was time to eat it. I checked it a few times throughout the day and it was getting dry so I just sprinkled it with a little water and stirred it. We ate the rice with some chicken, and then I made rice balls out of the rest which my kids enjoyed later.

So, I mastered the thai sticky rice. Boy was it sticky too. Not just to eat, but the whole process. Next I think I'll try making jasmine rice. I hear it's much easier, and perhaps I can even use my rice cooker... We'll see. Wish me luck!

Guilty Sunday

2008-12-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

This is becoming a habit of mine. Guilty Sunday I'm calling it, although it actually starts Saturday night.

Wait no, it really all starts on Friday as I'm planning my weekend in my head. I make a promise to myself that Sunday I will go to church. There are three or four services on Sunday so I figure it should be easy to make it to one, right? Wrong.

All day Saturday I am telling myself over and over that I can't forget about church the next day. I'm considering whether or not to take the children, or maybe go by myself this week. I've even put it in my planner and set a reminder (as if I'm going to forget, guilt has seered this event into my brain for an eternity). It's Saturday night, I'm watching SNL and replaying in my head over and over that I am going to church and I should go to bed. First I plan for the 11am service, then the 1pm to give myself a little more time to sleep. Yeah, that's just what I'll do! I'll make it to the 1pm with plenty of time to sleep in! Gosh, I'm so smart, this is a great idea.

Sunday morning... Beep Beep the alarm goes off at 11am. I get up and Hubbin is leaving for the gym. I'm thinking oh great, now how am I going to go to church? I have to take care of the kids and get ready and make it there on time? Wait, I can do it! Ugh, but I'm sooo tired, and my back really hurts, and it's very cozy in the house and VERY chilly outside. Hmm, maybe I'll just relax in the house today. NO! I have to go to church! I said I was going to go, and I love it once I get there.... So I have to go. But I'm just going to play with the kids for a little bit, then I'll get ready. I'll have plenty of time. Oh crap, it's noon! I gotta make lunch for the kids, and then put Bubba down for a nap and still get ready! Maybe I should just forget it. Guilt setting in in 5-4-3-2-1 GUILT TRIP!!!! Ugh. I am such a bad Christian. I can't even get out of the house once a week to worship my Lord and Savior who gave His life for me. It's 12:57, I haven't showered, I just took some pain pills so I can't drive, and I'm actually closer to a nap than to going anywhere.

Why do I do this to myself? Going or not going anywhere else wouldn't make me feel guilty at all. I love going to church too, but getting my butt in gear on Sunday is next to impossible. Sundays have always been my lazy day when I stay in my pj's and watch movies, while the house fills up with yummy smells from the crockpot. Getting that mentality out of my head has proven quite a challenge. No matter what I set out to do on Sunday, if it involves leaving the house, it's likely not to happen.

For anyone who is reading this post and thinking I am a terrible person, well I'm not. I have to keep reminding myself of that because I feel SO guilty about flaking out on God every Sunday. There are church services on other days as well, but I for whatever reason don't seem to make it to those either. I really envy people who get up bright and early and go to church every Sunday without fail because it does set the week in the right direction. After I go to church I feel whole, I feel centered and ready for anything. But on Sunday afternoon in my bed I feel warm and drowsy and ready for dreamland. Dangit! Darn you soft and inviting bed lurking into my brain and sucking out my motivation!

Now it's 1:15pm. Church has started, and without me. I'm still in my pj's, Bobbaloo is in bed and Mister is watching cartoons in my room. Hubs is playing WoW in the office, and I'm in the quiet and serene living room watching the trees sway in the backyard. I should be out there, at my beautiful church that I love singing and praising my Savior. Perhaps all the thinking I do about God and church and all the guilt I feel for not going could add up to something. I will say an extra prayer tonight, asking for forgiveness for my lackadaisical Sunday doings. Hopefully God will understand that I'm a sucker for a restful Sunday.

But I'm definitely going next week. For sure...

Damn you Joe...

2008-12-14T01:20:00.000-08:00

So my super terrific friend Joe took my advice and bravely began writing his own blog Dorkus Maximus a few days ago. Even though I urged him to write about himself, his hopes, his dreams, his inner thought type stuff I have yet to write about mine. So in an effort not to be a hypocrit I will make a concerted effort to write a little about those subjects myself.

So... My hopes and dreams... suprisingly scary to write about! Let's start with my originals. When I was a little girl I wanted nothing more than to be a supermodel rockstar who drove a fire engine red corvette with fire painted down the sides. I changed my name to Veronica Michelle, and could sing all of Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All" at a meer 5 years old. I remember sitting in the back seat of my Mom's car belting my heart out to no one, just hoping that the car next to us was a famous producer who would happen to hear me and make me an instant star. I was convinced that was how it happened for all my favorites like Michael Jackson, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Whitney Houston and NKOTB. I had no idea becoming a star meant working your keister off.

As a teenager I was still holding onto the dream of being a singer, but the supermodel part was let go as I realized I wasn't the supermodel type. Throughout highschool I did some acting and singing which I was good at, but nothing came too much of it. When I was about 14 I auditioned for Star Search, but for whatever reason my Mom couldn't come with me. Being so nervous without her I cried through the entire audition, and of course did not make it.

By my early twenties my dreams had changed and I wanted to be married and have children. I was lucky to have met the man God knew I needed and together we made our dreams of parenthood come true. Through that I learned that some dreams are definitely worth working for and seeing through, and I still live that dream everyday.

Now, twenty-nine years old, married, and somewhat disabled my dreams are different. The dreams I have now may seem to some people insignificant. But to me these dreams are real and I think about them everyday. Today I dream to be stronger. Not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. I dream of having a daughter. I dream of being a teacher and changing people's lives through expression of all mediums of art. I dream of knowing my worth, and feeling like I have a gift to offer the world, which is something people have often told me, but that I have yet to realize. Mostly I dream of being the best me for my children, my Husband, my God and myself so that I can be truly happy, and so that I can help people and offer them whatever they need. I've honestly found as I've gotten older that my most important dreams are the simplest ones. These days being famous or having a corvette is the last thing on my mind, while just being the best me for everyone in my life is what I dream about every moment.

So to my friend Joe, and anyone else in the wide world who might read this, I hope you can be brave and write down your hopes and dreams so that you may have more time to ponder them in hopes that you can make them come true.

Almost Vacation...I mean Christmas! Don't go Amy!

2008-12-14T00:32:00.000-08:00

Well it's after midnight so there are officially 8 days until we leave for our vacation to D-i-s-n-e-y-l-a-n-d!!!! I couldn't be more excited!! Not only do I get to spend the holiday in THE most magical place on Earth, but I get to spend it with my children and Husband on our first family vacation ever! One hundred exclamation points could not express my anticipation.

So, as I anxiously wait for our dream vacation, Hubbin and I went on a little date tonight and saw Four Christmases. I expected it to be much funnier than it actually was. It was funny, but just not what I was expecting. Although Vince Vaughn is super hot, he's played the same character in every movie he's been in since Swingers. It is a funny character, but has gotten somewhat old. I was very happy with Reese Witherspoon's performance though, she was as funny as she could be in that role, and also rather adorable.

On a bittersweet note Amy Poehler revealed that tonight's episode of SNL will be her last. I am so sad to see her go as I am sure many fans will be, but as we all know she just started a new family and must tend to baby Archie. Best wishes Amy!! I love you!!!

Welcome to me.

2008-12-11T23:56:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my blog. I'm going to make a concerted effort to write something everyday. I can't make any promises to the hilarity or wit of it's contents, but I'm sure there will be a dash of neurosis, some chaos, a tad bit of whining and a fistful of rambling.

Me up until now 11:49pm December 11th, 2008: As of this moment I am Mother of two very different but equally interesting children. A six year old I call Mister, and a four year old I call Bobbaloo. Mister is a perfectionist, neurotic imaginer of superhero adventures. Bobbaloo uses most of his energy sending me to the insane asylum (not a hard task), but then saves the day by saying something outrageous that leaves everyone who hears it in tears of laughter. They are thick as thieves, best friends, two peas in a pod, you get the message. They love me and my superman hubbin quite a bit too. We think they're pretty great as well. Speaking of the Hubbin, he's pretty great. He helps me keep it together, and glues me back together when I fall apart.

Besides the immediates I have the general crazy family. A Mom who I love dearly but is overwhelmingly innapropriate, a father who is constantly dying and a brother that's too laid back for his own good. My in-laws live across the country, so I don't see them but every few years, but from the stories I've heard it's probably better that way. Although I do have to admit I love my Mother In-Law quite a bit, and according to Hubbin everyone feels that way. He holds her on a pedistal so high I'm suprised she can breathe in that altitude.

I spend most of my time at home alone or with my children as I am currently disabled. Hopefully one of these days I'll miraculously get better and be the high-school art teacher I dream of becoming. We'll see...

Well that's me up until now, and hopefully each day I'll be evolving in some way, no matter how small. Thanks now for reading if you do, and I hope you enjoy my ramblings.